January 2012

Lucid Derangement

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One would think that if condemned to lose sanity it would be preferable not to be aware of what was happening.  On the contrary, as in lucid dreaming, there is something empowering and even comforting in lucid derangement, particularly national as opposed to personal derangement.

We may be in the advanced stages of going loony as a society and a polity, and yet expanding one’s awareness of how this process is proceeding is a form of enlightenment, even if the enlightenment is offered read more

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Constitutional Amendment to Create Public Financing Introduced by Kucinich

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I recently recommened a comprehensive Constitutional amendment addressing the corruption of our elections.

The largest piece of it, largely inspired by an amendment drafted by Russell Simmons, had not been introduced in Congress . . .  until now.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich has just introduced HJRes100 which proposes this Constitutional Amendment:

    Section 1. All campaigns for President and Members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate shall be financed entirely with public funds. No contributions shall be permitted to any candidate for Federal office from any other source, including the candidate.
    Section 2. No expenditures shall be permitted in support of any candidate for Federal office, or in opposition to any candidate for Federal office, from any other source, including the candidate. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.
    Section 3. The Congress shall, by statute, provide limitations on the amounts and timing of the expenditures of such public funds.
    Section 4. The Congress shall, by statute, provide criminal penalties for any violation of this Article.
    Section 5. The Congress shall have the power to implement and enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

This does not state that corporations are not people or bribery is not speech or the moon is not made of cheese, but it proceeds accordingly and handles read more

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Booing the Golden Rule

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Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. An important rule to live by. So is this corollary: Friends don’t let friends watch presidential primary debates.

I think the clip at this link is a safe dose bit.ly/xVAIF6 and I have survived it myself or I would not urge it on others.

I recommend it to you only because I believe it is important for us to stop and ask what it means for a group of people who tend to promote both Christianity and the combination of Christianity with politics read more

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Video of Charlottesville City Council Passing Resolution Against War on Iran

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Speaking to the resolution:
David Swanson (activist and author) 11:30
Larry Bishop (activist) 19:45
Tony Russell (activist) 21:15
Helena Cobban (author) 27:40
Ira Bashkow (U. of VA anthropology professor) 31:30
Brandon Collins (activist) 35:20
Stratton Slatis (sp?) 44:45
Councilmember Dede Smith 48:00
Councilmember Dave Norris 49:30
Vice Mayor Kristin Szakos 50:20
Councilmember Kathy Galvin 55:15
Mayor Satyendra Huja 56:35
Council discussion (15 minutes) 1:02:30

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Charlottesville, Va., City Council Passes Resolution Opposing War on Iran

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The City Council of Charlottesville, Virginia, home of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and the University of Virginia, passed on Tuesday evening, January 17, 2012, a resolution believed to be a first in the country, opposing the launching of a war on Iran, as well as calling for an end to current ground and drone wars engaged in by the United States and urging Congress and the President of the United States to significantly reduce military spending.  Below is the text of the resolution, followed read more

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If Dr. King Were in Charlottesville Tonight

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Martin Luther King Jr. stood up and opposed the war in Vietnam for the last three years of his life.  He did not believe that by doing so he was failing to do something that goes by the name “supporting the troops.”  In fact his interest was in the well being of those men and women when he said:

“A true revolution of values will lay hands on the world order and say of war: ‘This way of settling differences is not just.’ This business of burning human beings read more

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Charlottesville City Council Peace Resolution Faces Challenge Tonight

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The Charlottesville City Council in Charlottesville, Va., is set to vote on a resolution this evening urging Congress to reduce military spending and not to launch a new war on Iran.  Four members of the five-member council publicly expressed their support for such a measure at the last meeting two weeks ago: Dave Norris, Dede Smith, Kristin Szakos, and Satyandra Huja. The City manager asked the councilors to submit any proposed read more

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Corporate Personhood Cannot Withstand Organized Persons

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There are many schemes now for undoing the doctrines under which corporations claim constitutional rights and bribery is deemed constitutionally protected “speech.” Every single one of these schemes depends on a massive movement of public pressure all across the homeland formerly known as the United States of America. With such a movement, few of the schemes can fail. Without it, we’re just building read more

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